My Favourite Brother
by willowbabe
Summary: Hermione's been keeping a secret from her friends for five years... How do they react when they find out?... 5th year, R/H with a (very) subtle (at least for me) hint at H/G. It is slightly depressing in parts.
1. The Nightmare....

Author's note: Okay this was orignally written for a contest, but I wanted to get it up on fanfiction.net first. Just to see if it's good enough. I'd really appreciate some reviews. My beta says it's good, but then I'm her best friend, so she's meant to say that.  
  
Dedicated to Laura, for being an excellent beta, and phil and Andrew for being pains in the a**.  
  
Disclaimer: I am actually the real J K Rowling. These are all my characters and I'm gonna sue everyone else for using them………………………………… Nah! I'm just kidding with ya. I'm actually a 15 yr old schoolgirl with no money that's rather happy because her mum is taking her out shopping tomorrow.  
  
  
  
1 My favourite brother  
  
  
  
"No! No! Andrew! Don't leave me!"  
  
"Hermione! Wake up!" Ginny gently shook her friend from her slumber. Cianimmon eyes opened to meet concerned hazel ones.  
  
"Ginny?" Hermione asked, confused and still slightly sleepy. "Where am I?"  
  
"You're at the burrow. You came yesterday to visit Ron and me, remember?" Hermione nodded her head as confirmation, although she still didn't seem quite alert. "Are you alright? You sounded as if you were having a nightmare."  
  
"It was nothing." Hermione dismissed the thought quickly, confirming to Ginny that it was definatly not nothing.  
  
"Are you sure?" Ginny persisted, "Because you were calling out in your sleep and everything. Kept on talking about some boy called Andrew, something about him leaving you…"  
  
"I was?!" Hermione looked horrified. Ginny nodded, noting her friend's shocked expression.  
  
"Who's Andrew, Hermione?" Ginny knew that she shouldn't have asked so bluntly, but it was late at night, and she was getting groggy.  
  
"No-one, just go back to sleep, Gin." Hermione shooed Ginny back across to her bed, and turned towards the wall, letting her friend know that she didn't want to talk about it.  
  
"Okay, g'night." Said Ginny reluctantly. Soon the burrow fell silent again, the only sound that touched Ginny's ears were the quiet carefully concealed sobs of her friend. They didn't discuss it in the morning.  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
"Happy birthday, Mione!" Declared Ron, as she sat down at the Gryffindor table next to him. Her cheeks flushed red, as various others eating their breakfast around her sent their birthday greetings.  
  
It was now a month after the nightmare incident, as Hermione now refered to it, and thankfully Ginny hadn't questioned her about it. It would not only be emotionally trying, but would bring a lot of skeletons out of the closet. And she wasn't sure how well Harry and Ron would take it if they found out she had been keeping secrets from them for five years…  
  
"How does it feel to be sixteen?" asked Ginny, sliding down next to Harry, her cheeks turning a slight pink. Harry grinned at her boldness, and then turned his attention back to his best friend.  
  
"Not much different from being fifteen." Hermione stated, the blush in her cheeks fading away slightly. "Anyway, at least you two remembered this year." She gestured towards Ron and Harry, who bowed their heads in shame.  
  
"We had your presents and everything." Ron started, pushing his eggs around his plate guiltily.  
  
"We just forgot it was that particular day." Harry finished, looking equally shamed. Hermione laughed as she reached for a slice of toast.  
  
"I know, I know. I forgive you. So where are my pressies?" She asked, happily. Ron and Harry shared a glance of relief, as they were expecting her to yell at them.  
  
Ginny grinned at her brother and his friend. "Well someone woke up on the good side of the bed this morning, didn't they?" she asked Hermione. "These two were expecting you to blow their heads off. Anyway, here are your presents. Open mine first." Ginny shoved a square shaped present into her friend's hands, and then proceeded to place many more in front of her.  
  
Hermione tore off the wrapping paper, and let out a squeal of delight. "Oh, Gin. This is brilliant! I wanted this for ages. How do you know I wanted it? I would never have guessed what this was."  
  
"How could she not have guessed what it was." Ron muttered to Harry, pointing at the book that Hermione was waving around. "Everyone always gets her books."  
  
"Ah, but this is a different sort of book." Ginny smiled at her brother, knowingly. "Look." Harry and Ron peered at the book and read the title. 'Wizards Are From Mars, Witches Are From Venus'  
  
Harry laughed as Ron said "No, we're not… I'm from England."  
  
"It's a self-help book, Ron." Ginny explained. "It's all about how men and women are different and expect different things in a relationship…"  
  
"Oh…" It was obvious Ron didn't get it.  
  
"Here's my present, Hermione." Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's stupidness, and handed Hermione her present. Soon she had a small pile in front of her. From Harry she had received a book about how to survive her OWLs, from Fred and George a collection of all their latest products, and Ron gave her a box of her favourite sugar quills. Suddenly a large snowy owl landed gracefully on the table and held out her leg towards Hermione.  
  
"Thanks Hedwig" said Hermione as she removed the letter from Harry's owl. Harry fed Hegwig some of their leftovers, as Ginny stroked her feathered chest. Hedwig cooed at both Harry and Ginny then flew off to the owlery for a nice rest.  
  
"How come Hedwig let you stroke her, Ginny?" Ron asked incredulously, "She always bites me.."  
  
"It's because she knows that I'm a nice person." Ginny smiled the trademark Weasley grin. "Owls know that sort of stuff. They like people similar to them. Like you and Pig for example."  
  
"Me and Pig? But Pig's just a feathery git!"  
  
"Exactly." And Ginny turned round to talk to Hermione before Ron could reply. Harry burst into laughter at Ron's confused face as Ginny asked Hermione "What do your parents say?"  
  
Hermione didn't reply. Instead she handed Ginny the locket that had fallen out of the envelope, and carried on reading the letter. Tears started to fill her eyes, and suddenly she stood up and rushed out of the Great hall, leaving her three friends (and a few others around her) looking on astonished.  
  
"She forgot her letter." Ginny motioned to the letter, left next to Hermione's uneaten slice of toast.  
  
"Ginny, what does that letter say?" asked Harry, concern for his best friend filling his face. Ginny read the first few lines to herself, commenting occasionaly with remarks such as "The locket is from her Great Aunt Joan…" and "Her grandma has recovered from her hip operation, what ever that is…"  
  
"Don't worry about all that. Just tell us what made her so upset." Ron rolled his eyes at his younger sister, earning him a quick slap round the ears.  
  
"Shut up Ron!" Ginny said angrily. "I can't find out if you keep on interuppting me, can I?" She continued reading for a bit, then gasped. "I think I know what it is…"  
  
"What?" asked Ron and Harry in unison, both anixous for their friend.  
  
"Here's what it says. 'We hope you have a lovely birthday, darling. I'm sure Ron and Harry won't forget this time.' " Ginny paused at this comment to watch them blush, ashamed. " 'I hope you like your present. Joan got it from her best friend Patrica Evans for her wedding day. Also we've enclosed a letter from Andrew, that he wanted us to give you when you're sixteen. I guess that would be now then.' "  
  
There was a long pause where Ginny waited for this to sink in. Ron and Harry just stared at her, still without a clue as to why Hermione was upset.  
  
"Gin, we don't have a clue what you're talking about." Harry admited.  
  
"Andrew!" She replied, waving the letter in their faces. "During the summer, she had a nightmare, and she kept calling out to someone called Andrew. I don't know who he is, but I bet that's the reason why she's so upset."  
  
Ron snatched the letter out of Ginny's hands and stood up. "I'll go talk to her." He said, sounding as if he really didn't want to, but still determined to do it anyway.  
  
"But Ron, we don't know where she went." Harry explained, unsure why Ron wanted to be the one to comfort her. This earned him a kick from Ginny, which he was quite concerned at.  
  
"I'll find her…" was the only reply.  
  
  
  
…………  
  
  
  
Please review…… but only if you have two eyes, and fingers. (whether they work or not is irrelevant. I just would prefer a human to review rather than a giant bunny called Fred. Not that I have anything against Fred. But it's just that I still feel rather guilty about the whole 'making him insane and getting him locked up in Broadmoor (the local mental hospital)' incident. 


	2. The Letter....

Disclaimer: See first chapter…

Author's note: Okay, wow! I wasn't expecting that many people to review… I personnaly thought it was rubbish. Anyway, to those people that reviewed, thanx!!! You have made me extremly happy. And just to answer two of my reviewers.

Lady lupin: Yes, your guess was right. I might do a little accompinement to this afterwards, about Hermione's Great Aunt Joan, and Patricia Evans. At the moment though, I'm concentrating on writing the next part of this.

Wmlaw: do you happen to live in England? Near Sandhurst or Crowthorne or Bracknell?

This is the chapter where you'll discover who Andrew is, and how he's connected to Hermione.

Dedicated to Laura, Phil, and Andrew.

****

My Favorite Brother

Chapter Two

Hermione sat huddled in a ball by the lake, tears streaming down her face. She knew that she'd be questioned about her sudden disappearance later today, but for now, she didn't care. She didn't care that she would have to reveal a secret that she had kept hidden for five years. She didn't care that her friends might not ever trust her again, once they realized she had lied to them for five years. And she didn't care that Ron had just sat down next to her…. 

"Hello 'Mione!" Ron said, after a few minutes of silence. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what, Ron?" Was the dull reply. "I'm perfectly fine."

"No, you're not. You are upset, and I think it has something to do with someone called Andrew." At this comment Hermione stooped gazing out towards the lake and buried her face in her knees, quiet sobs resonating to Ron's ears. 

Ron looked at her, concerned. He placed a hand on her shoulders, used his other hand to lift her head out of her knees, and then asked gently "Who is Andrew, Hermione?" 

She wordlessly handed him a tearstained letter.

__

Dear Munchkin (It read)

__

I've asked Mum and Dad to give this to you on your sixteenth birthday. Sixteen is a big turning point in your life and at least this way; I'll be able to be with you.

As I'm writing this, you are eleven, going on thirty-five. I mean this as a compliment as I'm proud to see you acting so mature. But remember that you are still a kid, and need to have fun in your life. Don't live in the library the whole time. There's a beautiful world, just outside your window. Don't forget that.

I can remember when you were born. I was twelve and was so ecstacic to have a sibling that I didn't mind you weren't the little brother I was hoping for. I was there at the hospital, you know. Waiting outside. You were the cutest little thing. No teeth and a little tuft of bushy brown hair. First time I held you, you looked up at me with your big cinnamon eyes, grabbed one of my fingers, and giggled. Mum later said it was just gas, but I knew the truth.

And now you're eleven and all grown up. You're sitting in the corner of the room again, reading that letter. It says you're a witch, with magical powers and stuff. You're a bit skeptical about it. I guess by the time you read this, you'll know for sure.

I hope you like your school (whatever one you go to). I bet you're the cleverest student there. I know that you'll be the most beautiful. I can already hear you laughing. You? Hermione Anne Granger, beautiful? That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Well you are. You were beautiful the day you were born, you're beautiful at age eleven, and I bet you'll be beautiful until the day you die.

And when I say beautiful, I don't just means looks. You have a beautiful personality too. You are smart, gentle, kind, hardworking. Animals love you… I'll never forget the day you brought home that stray dog. He wouldn't let anyone else near him. Only you… And you're loyal too. If someone tells you a secret, it stays a secret. You can be a bit bossy at times, stubborn too, but it's a common Granger trait, so I'll forgive you for it.

And most of all, you are loving. When you love someone, you love them unconditionally. You may get angry at them from time to time, you may want to rip them to shreds, but you will eventually forgive them. No matter what. You do it with me all the time. Because that's just how you are. Loving.

Don't ever lose that trait. It's what makes you special, makes you Hermione. And don't be afraid to get hurt. It happens. Love hurts. You will encounter heartbreak. But don't let that stop you loving. Never stop loving, munchkin, never.

I'm not going to tell you to work hard at school, because I know you will. I'm not going to tell you to brush your teeth twice every day, that's Mum and Dad's job. My piece of advice is this:

Get a job you enjoy, make friends you can laugh and cry with, love someone you can talk to, and never stop dancing. Cos at the end of the day, when all the money is spent, and all the jobs are done, there's nothing else to do but dance.

I don't think I'm gonna make it to your next birthday, and I know I won't make it to your sixteenth, so look after yourself. Look after Mum and Dad, and make sure Jamie gets on with her life. I don't want her to live with regrets.

All my love

Your favorite (and only) Brother

Andrew

Ron looked up at his friend, to see apprehension on her face. He was a mixture of emotions. Confused at to why it was in his fifth year that he discovered about Hermione's brother, yet also angry at her for not telling him sooner. The main emotion though, was still concern for Hermione. 

Something in this letter had upset her, and he wasn't sure what.

Eventually he decided to say something.

"I didn't know you have a brother." Was the only thing he could think of. Hermione's face became stony, and she turned her head to face the lake again.

"I don't have a brother." She replied.

"But… Andrew?" Ron was confused.

"Andrew was my brother." Hermione answered turning her face towards him. "But he died. My brother died five years ago." 

And with that, she burst in to tears and flung herself into Ron's comforting arms. 

………

Well? What do you think? How many of you guessed who Andrew was? In the next chapter you'll find out how Andrew died, and why Hermione kept it a secret for so long. The next chapter should be up by next week. I already had these two finished. 


	3. Explanations....

Author's note: Here's the third and final chapter. There is a possiblity of an epilogue, and I'm thinking of a follow-up. Thanks go to Laura for being an excelent beta, to anyone who reviewed, and to my brothers for being pains in the butt. 

****

My Favourite Brother

Chapter Three

Ron was at a loss of what to do. One of his best friend was currently crying in his arms, after revealing a secret to him that she had kept for more than four years now, and a rather big secret at that. She had had an older brother.

How Hermione had managed to keep a secret like that for so long, Ron didn't know. But he did know that he was going to remain calm, no matter how hard it was for him, and just wait for her to tell him in her own time… Whenever that was…

For now, all he could do was comfort her. Gently stroking her bushy brown hair he whispered nonsense words in her ear, and gently rocked her. His mother always used to do it with him and Ginny when they were younger and it seemed to be working with Hermione too. Her sobs were becoming quieter, and her breathing more regular.

"Thanks." Hermione said nervously, sitting up and furiously wiping the tears out of her eyes. Ron leaned over and wiped a few stray ones away from her cheek. He left his hand on her cheek for a moment longer than necessary, and then realized and quickly withdrew it. He wasn't sure but he thought he saw a faint blush pass over her cheeks briefly, although in the end he just put it down to embarrassment.

"For what?" he asked softly.

"For not laughing at me, for letting me cry all over you. And for staying here with me, even though I know that I disgust you." She replied just as softly, as she reached over for the letter again.

"Disgust me? Why would you think that you disgust me?" Ron looked at her, confusion blatant.

"Well, I kept this from you for five years. We've been best friends for ages now, and today is the first time that you found out about Andrew. I thought you'd be angry with me. You had a go at Harry the other day, because he didn't tell you about his latest nightmare." She looked down at her feet.

"But that's different. I admit that I am a little upset that you didn't tell me… or Harry," Ron added as a little afterthought, "But I'm not angry. If you didn't tell us, it was probably because it hurt too much to think about it, let alone talk about it."

Hermione stared at him for a few moments, and then broke into a small smile. "Thanks again."

"For what, again?" He asked, smiling 

"For being so understanding." She looked out to the lake and then back at the letter. "I guess I should tell you a bit about him."

"Only if you want to." Ron replied, laying his hands on hers, as he tried to keep the curiosity out of his voice. She smiled slightly, at how sensitive he was being.

"Well, it said in the letter how old he was when I was born, twelve. There were twelve years between us, but we were so close it never seemed like that. He always had time for me, even if he had homework to do, or something. When mum started back at work, just after I'd began school, I saw more of him than I did my own parents.

"Then when I was seven, mum got pregnant again, and I was so excited. I was going to have a little brother or sister. I couldn't wait for the nine months to be up. But six months into it mum miscarried. I cried for a week. All I wanted was for my parents to wrap me up in their arms and tell me that everything would be alright, but they didn't. Mum was too upset herself, so dad was comforting her. But I had my big brother Andrew to look after me, so I knew I was going to be alright. 

"It wasn't until I was ten, that he started to get ill. He was a dancer, you see, and all of a sudden, he couldn't dance. His limbs would feel too weak, and he'd easily catch colds. And what mad it worse was that we didn't know why. 

"At first we thought it was emotional stress, as he had just broken up with his girlfriend of three years, and was taking it badly. But then he got back together with his girlfriend Jamie, and he didn't get any better. Eventually he went to the doctors and they ran some tests on him.

"It wasn't until the day after he had proposed to Jamie and she'd accepted, that he found out the results. He had cancer. Terminal cancer of the heart. The doctors said he had a maximum of three years left to live. He didn't even last that long…." And with that comment, Hermione broke down into Ron's arms again.

***************

Meanwhile, Ginny and Harry were sitting up in the Gryffindor tower, waiting for news of their friends. Every once in a while Ginny would get up, walk to the window, look out of the window, look at the clock, sigh and return to the seat by the fire, to pick up the book that she was currently not reading. Harry smirked at her as she left her chair for the fourteenth time in half and hour.

"Good book?" he asked, his grin increasing at her blatant confusion.

"What?" She looked at the book placed on the chair. "Oh that. I'm not really reading it."

"That's obvious. You've been walking over to the window so often, that I'm getting dizzy. Look, don't worry about it. I think that after five years of friendship Ron would know how to handle Hermione by now." Ginny raised a neatly plucked red eyebrow at him, and smirked in a smug way.

"Don't look at me like that!" Harry continued. "You know the only reason that he argues with her, is because he thinks that 'she looks like an angry goddess and her eyes sparkle with the fire of a thousand suns.'" Ginny giggled as Harry deepened his voice slightly, and did a very good impression of her brother.

"He actually said that?" 

"Yup. I got him to confess the day that he partnered Neville in Charms. We were doing truth charms and Neville's was a little too over enthusiastic. What was meant to last five minutes, actually lasted five hours." Ginny giggled again, unable to stop herself.

"Anyway, not only did I find out enough childhood information to keep Fred and George from getting me with their Wheezes for a good few years at least, but I also discovered that little Ronnikins has had a slight crush on our own dear friend Herm-own-ninny since the day he met her. He won't argue with her, when she's already upset over something else. He does have some sense, even if it is incredibly limited." 

"So, who do you think Andrew is?" Ginny asked, changing the subject.

"Dunno. Cousin? Old boyfriend maybe?" was the reply.

"For Ron's sake, I hope not." Ginny said as she walked over to the window seat, and gazed out to the couple sitting by the lake. Harry joined her and wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders, as he followed her gaze and silently agreed. 

***************

"He was twelve when you were born? That would make him the same age as Bill." 

"Yeah, Bill reminds me of him too. Not in looks, but his attitude. He always seems so calm, and relaxed about everything. Andrew was like that too." Hermione said. 

She had her head resting on Ron's lap and was gazing out towards the lake, as if she could see her late brother in the middle. Ron was looking down at her face, and his hands were ideally playing with her hair. It was comforting to the two of them, though neither was sure why. 

"I think I would have liked your brother." Ron stated, smoothing a curl and tucking it behind her ear. Hermione nodded slightly and there was a long pause before anyone said anything.

"I think he'd have liked you too." She paused again and then burst out a sudden, "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." Ron opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione continued before he could get a word in. "I wanted to tell you, but it was never the right time. First year, you wouldn't even talk to me to begin with, and I didn't want to bring it up anyway, as the memory was still too fresh. When we eventually did become friends, it just seemed wrong to bring it up. And every year since, it just got harder. And it just seemed wrong to suddenly burst out of the blue and say 'By the way, I've been keeping a big secret from you for years. I used to have an older brother, but he died two months before I began Hogwarts.' It's not really casual conversation, is it?" 

"Hermione, don't worry. I understand." Ron replied sympathetically. "I've lost relatives too, and I know how hard it is to even think about, let alone talk about, even years afterwards. My mum still gets all teary when she thinks of her dad, even though it's been almost eight years since he died."

Hermione was silent for a while. Then she looked up, smiled at Ron, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks again. I think I'm ready to go in now. I really should go and tell Harry and Ginny, before either of them gets too worried."

Ron and Hermione stood up and began the journey back to the castle. Their hands unconsciously joined together, and when the two of them realised, they did nothing to stop it. The walk back to the gryffindor common room was a quiet one, as both were too occupied with their thoughts to make any conversation. 

All too soon, they were standing in front of the Fat Lady, looking towards her portrait with trepidition. Although they knew that Harry and Ginny were waiting for them, neither really wanted to end the time when it had just been the two of them. 

Hermione looked up at Ron, and gave a weak smile. "Thanks." She whispered, as she gave him a short peck on the lips, before giving the fat lady the password and hurrying into the common room, quickly, in the hope that Ron wouldn't see the blush that now streaked her cheeks.

"You're welcome." Ron replied, his fingers on his lips and eyes following after her, shocked at her small action. 

"Are you going to follow her?" the Fat Lady asked kindly.

"Wherever she goes." He replied, before giving the password, and entering the hubbub that was the gryffindor common room.


End file.
